This invention relates to farming equipment, and more particularly, to an improved apparatus for preparing a seed bed prior to planting.
This invention is an improvement over the soil conditioning apparatus described in Ser. No. 647,465, filed Jan. 8, 1976, by Jerrell Harden and Ronald Brown, issuing Oct. 25, 1977, as U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,126.
All farm land that has been cultivated (plowed) or had any traffic on it will form a compacted layer beneath the surface. This compacted layer of soil is called a "plow pan" or "hard pan". The "hard pan" is usually 2"-4" thick and is located 6"-14" beneath the surface. On cultivated land, the depth is determined by the depth the land is plowed. There are two factors that contribute to the development of a "hard pan". One is merely the weight of the implements used to till the soil. The other is called "traffic pans". The "traffic pans" are created under the wheels of the farm tractor. As the "traffic pans" are tilled they move further down until they reach a depth where a plow will not disturb them. When soil is loose, it will be compacted to 88% of maximum density by one pass across it with an average size farm tractor. Therefore, all successive passes can compact it only 12% tighter.
The "hard pan" severly restricts plant root growth. If it is compacted tightly enough, roots cannot penetrate it; therefore, plant growth and yields are greatly restricted. The density of compaction is determined by the soil type. With no "hard pan" or other restriction, a plant's roots can grow to a depth of 6' and a width of 4' within 30 days after its seed germinates. However, when a "hard pan" is such that roots cannot penetrate it, the plant must obtain all its nutrients and moisture from the layer of earth above the "hard pan". Therefore, it must receive rain at frequent intervals in order to survive. But it can sustain itself for a longer dry period if it is feeding off six feet of earth instead of that above the "hard pan".
Numerous systems have been devised in an effort to overcome the inability of plants to penetrate the hard pan, to generally prepare better seed beds, to increase crop yield and to better preserve natural resources, such as top soil and the moisture content in the soil. Relatively recent examples of such prior systems are found in Norris et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,421, issued Feb. 23, 1965, and Krumholz U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,327, issued Oct. 31, 1972.
Prior to the development of the soil conditioning apparatus described in the 4,055,126 patent, there was no single apparatus which could accomplish all of the results obtained by the U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,126 apparatus. Specifically, in a single pass under no-till conditions (i.e. the remains of the winter cover crop or the previous year's crop residue having been left in the field, such remains being generally known in the agricultural industry as "trash"), the U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,126 apparatus was able to clear trash away from the area to be prepared as a seed bed, break up the "hard pan" beneath the anticipated seed bed, fill the trench (left by the subsoiler used in breaking up the "hard pan") with broken up clods, fertilize the seed bed area uniformly, and pulverize the soil to prepare the seed bed for planting.
The present invention accomplishes the same results with better effect and greater efficiency than did the apparatus of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,126. Among the features and advantages of the present invention are that it saves time, money, soil, soil moisture and labor. Thus, for example, it permits seed preparation and seed planting of one or more rows in a single pass whereas conventional methods require up to seven steps, all of which necessitated separate passes across the field, further aggravating the hard pan problem. Moreover, because the present invention is able to prepare the seed bed without prior tillage, soil losses (due, for example, to erosion), which normally may be on the order of ten tons per acre or more annually using conventional tillage methods, are cut to almost zero soil loss. Further, by allowing trash to remain on the soil surface as mulch, water absorption of the soil is increased and weed production is inhibited at the same time.
The apparatus of the present invention incorporates a number of significant advantages over the earlier model described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,126. The present design enables construction of four row and six row models utilizing standard lift mount connections; this was not possible in the prior apparatus. In addition, the construction and arrangement of the front coulter assembly of the present invention enables this improved apparatus to operate in fields having two to five times more trash than was the case with the older model. Further, testing has indicated that the improved apparatus will work in vetch and wet rye up to six feet high without clogging; the older model would not perform at all in vetch or acceptably in tall wet rye one foot or more in height. The improved apparatus can be made approximately 14 inches shorter than the older model, thus enabling the larger versions (four and six row models) to incorporate standard lift type mounts.
Also significantly, the improved version of this invention prepares a seed bed comparable to conventional preparation methods; the older model prepared only a minimal seed bed which contained much trash and relatively large clods, all of which resulted in establishment of detrimental air pockets or channels.
It is a principal object of this invention to provide an improved soil preparation apparatus.
It is a further object to provide an improved apparatus for preparing a seed bed under no-till conditions.
It is a further object to provide an improved soil conditioning apparatus in which trash is effectively cleared from the area of the seed bed being prepared to prevent air pockets or channels from being formed in the seed bed.
It is a further object to provide a seed bed preparation apparatus which is more compact and lighter than prior apparatus and which can be connected to a greater variety of tractors.
It is a further object to provide an improved seed bed preparation apparatus in which the seed bed preparation assemblies are substantially universally adjustable to obtain greater mixing of the soil with less trash.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description below.